SESSION 19 (2 days)

SQ3R and THIEVES Non-Fiction Reading Strategies

What Do I Wish to Accomplish in this Session?

Help students to understand how active reading can help with comprehension of non-fiction

material by introducing the SQ3R and THIEVES reading strategies

Explain how both these reading strategies are effective when reading core class study material like

textbooks, articles, and informational hand-outs

Show students how the SQ3R strategy applies to school material by working with an article

Have students share the material with one another to show their understanding

Introduce the reading strategy called THIEVES

Show students how the THIEVES strategy applies to school material by working with an article

Continue Vocabulary Development

What Materials Are Needed?

Copies of SQ3R chart (INSERT 19-A) and Applying SQ3R (INSERT 19-B), copied front & back,

for students’ use and for their Forever Files

YouTube Video on SQ3r

http://youtu.be/0dhcSP_Myjg

Show on board Hysteria over Pfiesteria article (INSERT 19-C, 2 pages) OR use this link and select the

article:

http://water.epa.gov/polwaste/nps/kids/middleschool/index.cfm

Copies of THIEVES explanation (INSERT 19-D, 2 pages) copied front & back,

for students’ Forever File

Copies of Two Column Notes (INSERT 19-E) and Trouble over Taxes article (INSERT 19-F),

copied front & back

Vocabulary List

Discussion and Details – Day One

Discuss on of the Attention Grabbing Cartoons:

Cartoon #1, Day One - Visit with students about acronyms. Tie in Chunking (Session 16) and how things

can be grouped or put into ACRONYMS to remember them well.

Cartoon #2, Day Two - A bit overboard when using acronyms for acronyms!

Share acronym SQ3R and see if students can come up with what it means.

Show the YouTube video about SQ3R:

http://youtu.be/0dhcSP_Myjg (2:32)

After discussion, hand-out SQ3R chart (INSERT 19-A) and Applying SQ3R sheet (INSERT 19-B).

Begin with SQ3R chart (INSERT 19-A) - discuss the different areas of the strategy.

Put the Hysteria over Pfiesteria article (INSERT 19-C, 2 pages) on the board. Or, for use with the

Applying SQ3R sheet (INSERT 19-B), find it on the web at:

http://water.epa.gov/polwaste/nps/kids/middleschool/index.cfm

As an entire class, apply the SQ3R strategy and fill out the form using the article.

Look at the title - discuss that the article is supplied by the EPA (what does that acronym stand

for?) - read the information under each picture - survey the headings - read article

When you get to the Recite and Review Section, have students participate vocally. Have particular

students recite concepts they learned from the article, making sure they do so in their own words. For

the Review section, have them turn to a partner and share with each other things they learned. Have

partners ask each other questions about the article and review what was learned.

Discussion and Details – Day Two

Discuss the Attention Grabbing Cartoons: Cartoon #1, Day Two – This cartoon is just a funny way to continue discussions about acronyms – THIEVES today! Cartoon #2, Day Two – A funny take on the definition for “Non-Fiction” – we are studying that today using the THIEVES strategy.

Review the SQ3R acronym and have the class say what it means.

Share the next reading acronym THIEVES – discuss what they think it may stand for.

Pass out THIEVES explanation (INSERT 19-D, 2 pages).

Discuss each section thoroughly. Have the students choral read the questions within each section. Talk

freely about if they have ever used this strategy and when they think it would be most helpful to use.

Pass out the Two Column Notes page (INSERT 19-E) and Trouble over Taxes article (INSERT 19-F), which

was copied front and back.

Put the Trouble over Taxes article on board and thoroughly go through it as a group using every aspect of

THIEVES. Stress the importance of titles offering clues that may also be asked in tests. Select particular

students to read the first sentence of each paragraph – have them read with inflection. Discuss the

pictures and their captions – explaining the difference between a “heading” and a “caption.” Look at

vocabulary words like havoc, cyst, lesion. Read the questions at the end of the article.

• Break into partners and have them fill out their Two Column Notes page (INSERT 19-E) together.

• This is a great sheet to use as a ticket out of the classroom and can be used for a grade!

• Continue with Vocabulary Development: ACRONYM, STRUCTURE

(INSERT 19-A)

SQ3R

A Reading Comprehension Strategy

First/Last Name _________________________________ (INSERT 19-B)

APPLYING SQ3R

Magazine or Book ___________________________________________________

Article or Title ______________________________________________________

Topic (one or two words) _____________________________________________

SURVEY

Before Reading – List three general things you can tell you are going to learn and/or

already know about the topic:

1._________________________________________________________________

2._________________________________________________________________

3._________________________________________________________________

QUESTION

Before Reading – List three questions you anticipate the article will answer:

1._________________________________________________________________

2._________________________________________________________________

3. ________________________________________________________________

READ THE ARTICLE!

RECITE

After Reading – List three things you learned from the article in your own words:

1._________________________________________________________________

2._________________________________________________________________

3._________________________________________________________________

REVIEW - Look back over what you learned and share it with someone!

(INSERT 19-C, 2 pages)

(INSERT 19-D, 2 pages)

THIEVES: A Strategy for Previewing Non-Fiction Text

This activity will help students with comprehension by allowing them to preview the text structure in an organized manner. This pre-reading strategy will allow students to “steal” information before they actually begin reading the chapter. Students will survey the text in the following manner:

Title – The title provides valuable information by establishing the topic and the context of

the chapter. If the text is written in chronological order, the title may indicate where the chapter would fit on a timeline. Some questions that can be asked while looking at the title include:

What do I already know about this topic? How does it connect to the previous chapter? How can I turn this title into a question to focus my reading?

Headings – Headings indicate the important sections of the chapter. They help identify the

specific topics covered. Headings can be turned into questions to create a more focused look at information covered in the chapter. Some questions that can be asked while looking at the headings include:

How does this heading let me know what I will be reading about?

What topic will be discussed in the paragraphs below this heading?

How can I turn this heading into a question that can be answered

when I read this section?

Introduction – The introduction provides an overview of the chapter. It may come after the

title and before the first heading. Sometimes the goals and objectives of the chapter are stated in the introduction. Some questions that can be asked when previewing the introduction include:

Is there an introduction or does the first paragraph introduce the chapter?

What important information will I find in the introduction?

Do I know anything about this already?

Every first sentence in a paragraph – First sentences are often the topic sentences of the

paragraph. Reading these can give the reader information that will be contained in the chapter.

Visuals and Vocabulary

Visuals - Look at all pictures, charts, tables, maps and graphs contained in the chapter.

Reading the captions and labels on each can help to learn a little about the topic before beginning to read. Some questions that can be asked about the visuals include:

How do these visuals relate to the content of this chapter?

What can I learn from them?

How do the captions help me understand the visual?

Vocabulary unlocks the meaning of the content. Understanding the vocabulary helps to

comprehend the text. Vocabulary may or may not be identified as key words - it might be highlighted or italicized in the text. Some questions that can be asked about the vocabulary include:

Is there a list of key words and are they defined in the glossary?

Are there important words in boldface or italics?

Do I know the important words?

Are there other words I don’t know?

End-of-Chapter Questions – These questions indicate important points and concepts from

the chapter. Just reading these questions can help target information that is important in the text and establish a purpose for reading. Some questions that can be asked about the end-of-chapter questions include:

What do these questions ask?

What information will be important in this chapter?

How do I locate this information in the text?

Summary – Many texts contain a summary at the end of the chapter. Reading the

summary can activate prior knowledge and give readers an idea of the important concepts contained in the chapter.

THIEVES was created by Suzanne Liff Manz, an educational therapist and instructor at Nassau Community College in Garden City, NY. It was published in The Reading Teacher Volume 55 Number 5 in February, 2002.

Title What do I Already Know?

(INSERT 19-E)

Two Column Notes Using the THIEVES Strategy

Can I turn this title into a question?

Headings How does this heading let me know what I will be reading about?

Introduction Does the first paragraph introduce the chapter?

Read Every First Sentence in every paragraph

What are some of the topics that will be

discussed?

Visuals and Vocabulary Do pictures, captions help? How do key terms help?

End of Chapter Questions? What information will be important? How do I locate these answers in the text?

Summarize Does the chapter have a summary? If not, write a short summary of your own

(INSERT 19-F)

Article provided by www.GoSocialStudiesGo.com

Questions:

What error did Lord North make when he created the Tea Act to help out the failing

East India Company?

What boycott resulted?

Who snuck onto cargo ships on the night of December 16, 1773 and what did they do?

What set of laws were passed in April of 1774 aimed at punishing Boston? What

resulted?

What Acts united the 13 colonies against British authority?

VOCABULARY WORDS – SESSION 19

acronym – a word or abbreviation formed from the initial letters in a phrase or word.

Sentence: To help the students remember the names of the 5 Great Lakes, they formed the acronym

HOMES.

structure – how the information within a written text is organized

Sentence: The structure of the text will help you to know what will come next.